Citrus-fruit-sizing machine.



o. N, BOYER.' cmws FnunlzlNG MACHINE. APPLICATIUN 'FILED MAY 28. 1918."`

Patented Kpr. 29, 1919;l

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Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

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To all whom it may concern.'

Be it knownthat I, ORIN N. BOYER, a citizen of the United States, residnat 0ntario, in the county of Malheur an State of Oregon, have invented anew and useful litrus-Fruit-Sizing Machine, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a machine for pro erlyV sizing lemons and othercitrus fruit, diildult to size according to their diameter .on accountof their elongated shape; in which machine a system of concave shapedrollers,

connected in pairs by eccentric,v peculiarl7 shaped leverarms, travel bymeans of en less cl1a1ns runnlng over. sprocket wheels,

1 over differently inclined planes, gradually increasing the distancebetween the two rollers of each set. The mechanism of my machine isillustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which- Figure4 l is anelevation ofthe whole machine. 4

Fig. 2, a top view of the machine as it' appears, on the left of theline 1-2, with rollers and everything in lace; on the right of the linelf2, with rol ers and -leverarms removed.

Fig. 3, a vertical section of the machine on the line 1 2.

Fig. 4, a plan and-section, on line 3--4, of a couple of chain links,left and right, with attached lugs for carr ing axles of rollers.

Similar letters re er to similar parts throughout the several views.

The uprights or posts A, the longitudinal connections B, thecross-connections E, t0- gether with the pieces D, supporting therunning planes for rollers and leverarms, oonstitute the frame work ofthe machine. The posts support the axles a of the sprocket t wheels,wliich turn in metal bearings.` The endless chains e are placed aroundthese wheels, the openi of the links fitting overI Ithe sprockets of t ewheels. A t certain intervals links df the chains are provided with lu`c, with holes tocarry the ends of the rqlser axles. Ihe rollers d aremade with a u M: ve face, excepting a narrow strip at end,- which islevel lto allow rol in l1ers are arranged in pairs. `The lea e has itsaxle resting in theyholes of ugs c on thechain-links, in which it canfreely. The 'ends of the axle `of the or following roller move freely inthe curved slots f of the lever-arms o, placed on each side of theroller, while the pivot end g of the leverarm is hung upon the axle ofthe leadin roller, between roller and lug, allowina ee turning aroundthe axle.

he rollers travel on the planes h., either inclined or horizontal,resting u n sup orts D. When the rollers are moving an the leverarmscome into action, the weight of these arms is made such as to force ,thelower curved face of the arms to continually touch the inclined planejand thus -compel a movement of the ends of the axle of the second rollerin the curved slot f of the lever-arm, and thereb increase the distanceybetween leading an following roller.

When traveling from thefeeding end c of the machine, the rollersascend aslight inoline.: This is to gain sufficient height above the sortitable, which is at the feeding end, to al ow a removal of the sizedfruit from underneath the rollers. f i

The lemons are automatically placed between the rollers at the feedingend k,.from a chute from the sorting table.

This chute is adjusted to place a fruit in the pocket of each set ofrollers. By traveling up the incline from the feeding end4 the lemonsare in continual motion and rolling over, and by the time the leverarmsreach the downward plane and begin to act, the lemons are in the roperposition to be' sized accurately accordin to their diameter. After theleverarms egin to act, the space between the two rollers of each set isgradually increased, allowing each lemon at the proper time to dropthrough. Canvas compartments may be provided underneath for receivin thesized fruit, after dropping throughgbetween rollers. V

At each end of the machine are two stop blocks Z, to guide the rollerson their upward and downwardl travel and to revent their drioppjnp;vawarfrom the machme.

A locking wheel m, with projections r on its face, at proper points, 1splaced between the sprocket wheels b at the feeding end of the machine,and fastened on the axle of the sprocket wheels, to ll the openingbetween two sets of rollers, `when moving around the sprocket-wheel atthe feeding end, and to prevent fruit falling into this olplening, whenit is being fed to the mac ne. The machine may be operatedby handbylmeans of a Crank p, applied at the axle of lthe front wheels, or may beeasily arranged for operation by amotor.

Whatl I claim as m invention, and desire to secure by Letters atent,is: 1. A sizing machine comprising a frame, rotatable members mounted insaid frame, lendless members carried by the rotatable members andactuated thereby, a series of rollers carried by said endless members inspaced nelatiorn to each other, pivoted levers carried by said endlessmembers, said levers being provided with slots', a series of rollershaving axles pivoted in the slots of said 1evers, tracks for saidrollers and means engageable by the levers during the travel of theendless mem-bers for moving the slots along thelast named roller axles,whereby Said rollers will be moved away from the first named rollers.

2.' In a sizing machine, a frame, rotatable l members mounted in saidframe, endless members carried by the rotatable members, alined bearingscarriedv bythe endless members, a roller `journal'ed in said bearings,pivotally mounted arms carried by the endess members, members carried bysaid arms and provided with inclined slots, a second roller having itsaxle slidably mounted in said slots, and means engageable by the lastnamed members during the travel of the endless members -for causing theslots of said slotted members to move along said axle and therebyseparate the rollers. l

3. In a sizing machine, a movafble carrier, a roller mounted on saidcarrier, lpivoted members movable with said carrier and provided withinclined slots, a second roller having an axle slidably mounted in saidslots,v and means engageable by the slotted members during the movementof said carrler for causing the slots of the slotted mem- Iber to movealong the axle of the second roller and thereby move the rollers apart`4. In a sizing machine, a movable carrier a roller mounted on saidcarrier, pivoted arms movable with said carrier and provided with levershaving inclined slots, a second roller having an axle mountedin saidslots, and means engageableby the levers during the tra-vel of thecarrier for rocking Said arms on their pivots, where/bythe axle of thesecond roller will move along the slots and cause the second roller tomove away from the other roller. I

In a sizing machine, a frame, pairs of Sprocket wheels carried by theframe and spaced apart, endless sprocket chains engage ing the sprocketwheels and carrying a series of pairs of spaced rollers, and a blockingwheel rotating about an axis in alinement with the axes of one pair ofsprocket wheels and having radially extending projections which enterspaces between pairs of said roll ers and close the same.

6. In a sizing machine, a frame, pairs of sprocket wheels rotatablymounted in the frame on horizontal axes and spaced apart, endlesssprocket chains engaging said wheels and provided with pairs of alinedspaced bearing lugs,-rollers having axlesl journaled in said lugs, armspivotally mounted on lthe axles of the rollers, levers rigid with saidarms and provided with inclined slots. other rollers having axlesengaging said slots, and means engageaible by the levers during thctravel of the sprocket chains for causing said arms to be rocked,whereby the axles of the second rollers will be moved along said slots.

ORIN N. BOYER

